The present invention generally relates to methods and apparatus for user data entry and, in particular, to methods and apparatus for recording and documenting observed data and, in preferred embodiments, such methods and apparatus are used by healthcare professionals in the healthcare context for recording and documenting observed data regarding patients.
Further in this respect, a patient conventionally receives healthcare from multiple medical and paramedical healthcare professionals over time, including by way of example, and not limitation, physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, nursing assistants, and physical therapists. The healthcare is generally provided through a series of observation-intervention interactions between each healthcare professional and the patient, and data regarding such interactions is observed and recorded by the healthcare professional in the patient's electronic healthcare record so as to provide a comprehensive record of the patient's health and the healthcare provided to the patient over time.
Such comprehensive recording and documenting of observed data by a healthcare professional has drawbacks to the extent that the time required to record and document such observed data detracts from the time that a healthcare professional otherwise could spend with patients. For example, a nurse's function is largely divided into two broad categories of activities, comprising: patient contact and professional interaction; and, charting and medical recordkeeping. Approximately half of the time spent by nurses is dedicated to just charting and medical recordkeeping. This is believed to be largely due to the sequential nature of these activities, insofar as the charting and recordkeeping usually occur after the patient contact and professional interaction.
It is believed that improvements can be realized in the provision of healthcare by performing such activities in parallel rather than in series. One or more embodiments of systems, methods and apparatus in accordance with one or more aspects and features of the present invention are believed to represent such improvements.